Nonprofit November, a month to remember important sector

November 2, 2010

We are always talking about our nonprofit partners, the great organizations that put our grants to good use improving life in our region. This month, as part of a national awareness effort, we are taking a moment to focus on this important part of our economy and our quality of life in Alabama.

The economic effect is huge, with $12.4 billion in annual revenue and more than 126,000 jobs in Alabama’s nonprofit sector, according to John Stone, president and CEO of the Alabama Association of Nonprofits. Nationally, the numbers are even bigger, with a tenth of all Americans employed at one of more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations generating $1.1 trillion in revenues, according to Dr. Jeremy Thornton, Associate Professor of Economics at the Brock School of Business at Samford University.

All we know is that, without our nonprofits, there would be no place for charitable people to place their trust and to invest their time, talent and money toward the greater good. In November and throughout the year, we are thankful for those contributions and for the organizations that use them to make life better for everyone.